They were in charge of being beautiful, and she was in charge of taking the hits.

Chapter 348 What? I've got it!

As she spoke, she even seemed to be looking forward to the lantern festival. Holding the blueprints, she exchanged a few words with them before returning to her room.

Fang Yuerong closed the ledger and said she wanted to go back to her room. Sima Lingchuan understood that this meant she wanted some space for the two of them.

Mo Baiyun, being sensible, had her own things to attend to and left afterward.

Wu Ziyan was looking at the blueprints in her room, trying to figure out how to explain the rationality of her light fixture.

She hadn't locked the door, and it was opened.

Without even looking up, Wu Ziyan smelled the familiar fragrance she had created on Sima Lingchuan.

Lingchuan

"Ziyan, how did you know it was me?"

"I can tell it's you just by smelling your fragrance."

Sima Lingchuan blushed upon hearing this, but still walked to her side and put his hand on her shoulder.

Seeing her frown, he asked, "Ziyan, why are you worried?"

"fine."

Wu Ziyan put down the blueprints, turned around and hugged Sima Lingchuan's waist, burying her between them.

There was a cold smell coming from upstairs, perhaps from the wind and snow that had just entered.

Sima Lingchuan held Wu Ziyan's soft hand, very gently.

Then he stroked the strands of hair at her temples, looking at her with a hint of heartache in his eyes.

"Xiao Rong, you must have suffered a lot on this journey. You seem to have lost a lot of weight."

“I will grow up too, my husband.”

She giggled, took his hand and placed it on her face, rubbing her face against his palm.

He was so nervous by that touch that he broke out in a sweat, even though they had already consummated their marriage.

However, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable with their daily intimacy.

He took a small step back, but Wu Ziyan grabbed his sleeve and pulled him closer.

She gently kissed his palm, and he trembled all over; he liked it.

Even though she was surrounded by so many handsome men, her passion for him remained undiminished.

You could tell from her burning gaze that she wasn't just going through the motions.

"It hasn't been that long since we last met, Lingchuan, why are you avoiding me? Are you afraid I'll eat you up?"

He shook his head, his eyes darting away. [I'm afraid you won't...]

"Alright, come here. Tell me how big we want this dragon and phoenix lantern to be. You're all good at painting, right? We'll rely on you to color the dragon and phoenix."

"How could such an important ancestral lamp be entrusted to a few men from outside the family?"

"If you don't tell and I don't tell, who will know?"

night

The men sat around a table eating, and Wu Ziyan felt a little out of place.

Because she couldn't seem to join the conversation over there.

Except for calling out to Xiaoyun'er, which wouldn't draw their collective attention, they would look over no matter who you called.

She is afraid!

But she still swallowed hard, took out a drawing from her sleeve, on which was drawn a lifelike dragon and phoenix intertwined.

"These are the lamps I'm making this year. Don't worry about the lamp stand; could you please reproduce this drawing onto the lamp?"

"My brothers are all skilled in painting, so why don't we each take charge of a part of it, since the lamp is so big?"

Chu Qiu thought to herself that things couldn't be done well; the complex patterns and color proportions were beyond their capabilities.

"It's alright, you don't need to worry about the color. I'll adjust it for you."

Everyone suddenly lost their appetite. They regretted not eating together that night, as they ended up being assigned work while eating. Oh dear!

"Everyone, please remain silent. That means you agree. I'll let you know later. Don't worry about me."

She herself was enjoying her meal immensely, while they wondered if Wu Ziyan knew what kind of project she had arranged for them!

That's an ancestral worship lamp; if you don't do it right, it could mean the death of nine generations of your family! She understands the meaning of "sharing joys and sorrows"!

After the meal, no one cared about Wu Ziyan anymore; all they could think about was the blueprint she had given them.

They all seemed to have a tacit understanding; they had even divided up their respective parts to draw during the meal.

As night fell, Wu Ziyan had intended to have a passionate night with Sima Lingchuan, but unexpectedly, he turned to studying by lamplight.

Wu Ziyan yawned repeatedly and ran her hand over his body, but he told her to stop fooling around.

It seems men are indeed very career-oriented; she crawled into bed herself.

The bed, which had been warm, became cold after a while; her limbs were sweating and her back was icy.

With nothing to do, I checked the favorability rating and, oh, I discovered a strange phenomenon.

Of the two that have placed job offers, 90% have already been filled.

I don't know how this favorability is calculated, but it doesn't matter. Fortunately, there's no time limit and I won't die.

It wasn't until late at night that I vaguely felt a warm object approaching.

When a heat source gets close to her, she's like a sloth, clinging to the hot object.

He even rubbed his face against the hottest spot on his chest before finally falling into a deep sleep.

This was a real hardship for Sima Lingchuan, who endured another agonizing, hazy night.

He woke up earlier than Wu Ziyan in the morning. She didn't want to get up, but she had to go to court.

After returning from Xiao Rong, she would always have to go to the palace to tell those old people a few things.

"Ziyan, get up quickly. Xiaoyun is already waiting for you outside the room. Get up and I'll call him in to help you wash up."

"What time is it? It's still dark outside. I have to get up in the pitch black. It's so cold outside the covers. I don't want to get up. Who the hell is it that makes me have to get up so early for work?!"

Sima Lingchuan shook his head. The cold weather made Wu Ziyan's morning temper even more spoiled.

Finally, she wrapped herself in the blanket, rubbed her messy hair, and had a dead fish-like expression on her face.

"Master, I'm still freezing outside. If you don't get up soon, my hands and feet will go numb!"

Wu Ziyan reluctantly crawled out of bed, quickly put on her clothes, and was still trembling all over.

The stove from last night was now only slightly warm; she placed her entire hand on the lid and it wasn't hot at all.

"Little Yun'er, come in, hurry up!"

He was shivering as he spoke, and his speech was somewhat incoherent as he sat in front of the mirror.

With her hair styled in a heavy bun, she inserted the last gold hairpin, put on trendy clothes, tied her belt, and walked outside.

Wu Chengji's carriage was already waiting outside the door, and fortunately, a heated cushion had been placed inside.

When Wu Ziyan left the mansion, he walked very quickly and slipped into the carriage in a very nimble manner.

"Big sister, aren't you cold? My goodness!"

"I'm fine. Actually, I've been getting used to the elements by getting up early to exercise all year round."

"I'm really fed up. I still want to be the carefree Marquis I used to be. Whoever wants to work such a cold job can have it!"

"Fourth Sister, you're joking again. What have you thought about what happened yesterday?"

"Are you referring to the lamp or Wu Chengye?"

"Of course it's about the ancestral lamps. Also, you should have compiled a detailed report after you came back from Xiaorong. Today is also a summary of your return to the city."

"Ah."

As she spoke, Wu Ziyan felt her hands were also uncomfortable, so she put them directly into Wu Chengji's sleeve.

Wu Chengji doted on his younger sister, holding her hand and covering it with his own.

He remained silent for a while, his eyes fixed on her.

Wu Ziyan thought her makeup wasn't done well, so she took out the mirror she always carried with her and looked at herself.

"No, Fourth Sister, are you feeling a little weak?"

Wu Ziyan: ?

I don't know why Wu Chengji would ask such a question. Does she also know how to read faces and take pulses?

"Big sister, why do you say that?"

“I see your hands are cold, your face is pale, there are dark circles under your eyes, and your palms are sweaty.”

"Is it possible that I went to bed too late last night and got up too early today?"

"That's possible, but since you were poisoned last time and then soaked in the cold spring, your body must be weak. You should find Doctor Han to treat you properly when you have time, otherwise it will affect the imperial heir in the future."

Speaking of imperial offspring, Wu Ziyan was curious. Her eldest sister and brother-in-law had been married for a long time, but she hadn't conceived yet. Could it be that...?

"Big sister, why don't you have any children yet?"

"Me? I have one now."

The news struck like a bolt from the blue: she was pregnant! She got pregnant just like that, naturally!

However, she was still overjoyed, because this meant she would soon be an aunt.

But it also means that the Empress might make her Crown Princess.

"You and your older brother are quite something, managing to leave so quietly. Was it when I left?"

"Around the same time, it's still early in the month, so it won't have any impact."

"Does the Queen Mother know?"

"Besides Bo Zong, you are the first person to know this."

Waiting for news to reach her undoubtedly shows how much he trusts her, but it also puts pressure on her in an invisible way.

If she and Wu Chengye had really caused any trouble at the border back then, wouldn't she have had to go there again?

Wu Chengji patted Wu Ziyan on the shoulder, his eyes fixed on her stomach.

"Aren't you and Lingchuan all lovey-dovey? Why hasn't anything happened yet?"

"Elder sister, you know my current situation. Sima Erzi is the last surviving son of the Sima family. If I were to have Lingchuan's child at this time, do you think the Empress would keep it?"

"That's something I didn't think of. Maybe someone was still bringing this up this morning. Fourth Sister, please don't get angry."

"Sister, you should take good care of yourself. Everyone says that the first few months are especially important for stabilizing the pregnancy."

"rest assured."

As they chatted, the carriage arrived outside the palace gates. It was still dark outside, on the dimly lit palace road.

Even with a lamp lit, you can't see who's coming from ten meters away, which saves you the trouble of greeting familiar faces.

They quickly crossed the palace path and entered the main hall. Wu Ziyan thought the hall would be warmer.

But it didn't seem to be much hotter than outside. Working under these conditions, it was hard for anyone not to be alert.

Currently, Wu Chengji is the leader of almost all the court officials, with a few being Wu Chengling's cronies. As for Wu Ziyan, no faction has yet taken a liking to her.

However, the ministers, led by Wu Chengji, knew that Wu Ziyan was not actually that incompetent.

Moreover, Wu Chengji treated her very well. Based on Wu Chengji's attitude alone, they had to greet her with smiles and think highly of her.

Meanwhile, some neutral factions went to court every day trembling with fear.

If you try to go this way, you never know when it will go bankrupt; if you try to go that way, it also seems to be on the verge of collapse.

They hadn't seen Wu Ziyan for a long time, and they all felt that the Fourth Prince seemed to have matured a lot.

I also heard some rumors about her in the court, but there were more negative things about her.

"Look, isn't that the Fourth Prince over there? He's back. Have you heard? He bought a mansion after returning from his mission to Xiao Rong, relying on his meritorious service. He's keeping all the sons of various adults in there."

"What? Where did you hear that? Is it true?"

“My servant saw it once when he went to the street to buy something; it was even more real than pearls!”

"Did you even get a good look at which family's young master this is? How dare he be so shameless!"

"I heard that the young master of the Situ family, the young master of the Changsun family, and the richest man in the capital all live in that mansion!"

"Good heavens! One holds military power, another assists in governing the court, and the third is richer than a country—what is this Fourth Prince planning to do?!"

"Shh, everyone please keep your voices down, I, the person in question, have already heard you."

Wu Ziyan gets up early, and her ears are ringing, but she can hear it as soon as someone mentions her name. In fact, you can't say bad things about her.

But what they said was indeed true, and he was worried that the Queen would hold him accountable for it. He swallowed hard, feeling uneasy.

When the adults heard that the person in charge had spoken, they hurriedly tried to kneel down and apologize, but Wu Ziyan waved his hand.

"We're here to attend court today. What kind of nonsense is this, kneeling before me? Does Her Majesty the Empress no longer exist?"

Oh dear, another big hat was put on their heads, scaring them so much that they were bent over at a 90-degree angle, not knowing whether to stand up or kneel.

When Wu Ziyan walked to the front and stood in the first row, the people behind her straightened up, looked at her, and dared not say anything more.

The Empress was always punctual, and the eunuch announced in a drawn-out voice, "Her Majesty has arrived!"

Wu Ziyan looked up at her mother, the Empress, and wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that the Empress looked rather thin and haggard.

The crowd knelt down and shouted "Long live the Empress!" She stretched her head, her eyes sharp, and told the officials to rise. Finally, her gaze fell on Wu Ziyan.

"Ziyan, this time you went to Xiaorong to help the new emperor of Xiaorong quell the domestic rebellion. Because they signed an alliance that was mutually unpleasant, you also opened up trade routes. You have made great contributions."

"Your Majesty, this is what I should do."

"Your Majesty, I have a matter to report. I have heard that the Fourth Prince is arrogant, extravagant, and dissolute, keeping the sons of ministers as pets and attempting to form cliques!"

She couldn't stand the Empress praising her even once; a clown would immediately jump out and smear her.

But what others say is true, except for the part about extravagance and debauchery.

"Among those Guangcheng knows are the son of General Situ and the son of Chief Minister Changsun..."

Standing next to the Empress, Changsun Boluan's eyes flickered, but he thought to himself, "Good heavens, they've all moved into the palace!"

Situ Hongyu was stationed on the border year-round and didn't care about the impeachments in the court; he only needed to take care of himself on the border.

However, while the eldest grandson was in the imperial court, she was always composed, but she was particularly open-minded about the education of their children.

And most importantly, it sided with Wu Chengji's faction.

She knelt down solemnly: "Your Majesty, I am guilty of oversight. My second son does live in the Fourth Prince's residence, but there is no question of him being kept in captivity. The Fourth Prince, in order to replenish the national treasury, allowed my son's ingenious and lewd skills to have a chance to be put to use."

"And General Situ's fourth son was originally the Fourth Prince's personal bodyguard."

Regardless of what they were saying, Wu Ziyan simply knelt down on the ground.

The sound was powerful and resounding, and then, with his hands on the ground, his head also hit the ground.

"Your Majesty, I am guilty. Please punish me." He confessed without hesitation.

"Ziyan, what crime have you committed? Get up!"

The ministers realized that the Empress's tone had changed, and that she was now siding with the Fourth Prince.

The prepared impeachment statements were all swallowed.

Wu Chengling simply clenched her fists. It seemed that this opportunist would probably have to move on!